Detective's Daughter
by Helen Nurse
Summary: Caterina Karpov was born at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, and her dad is some sort of detective. At least, that's what she was told by Irene Adler. Now that she's run away to London, the teen-aged genius must find her own way and learn of her past. It just won't be the past that she's expecting.
1. Caterina's Journal August 5-7, 2030

August 5, 2030

I talked to Miss Adler again today. Once again she's told me that she'll never tell me who my parents are. Ever since I turned eighteen she's been like this. I wanted at least a name that I could use to go from, at least as a starting point. But noooo, I'll just have to hack into her files to search for my parents.

* * *

August 7, 2030

Guess what? I don't exist! There is no record of Caterina Karpov in any government database on this earth. And I can hack anything without being detected. I guess I'll just have to use what I do know and go from there:

The name I grew up with under Miss Adler's care is Caterina Karpov. I am eighteen years old. I was born on the twelfth of July in 2012. I was raised by The Woman, aka. Irene Adler. The only thing she told me is that I was thrust upon her as a baby, and she won't mention my father's name. All that I know is that he's a british detective, and I was born in London at 's Hospital.

Now, a little background on myself. I have short, curly brown hair, pale skin, and steel grey eyes. I have high cheekbones, wide forehead, and a pointy chin. I am five foot six, I play the violin, and I was raised in America.

I am extremely athletic with the reflexes and body of a dancer. I could have made a career as a professional ballerina, if I could stand being in a room full of average brain powered people.

* * *

_**I don't own Sherlock.**_


	2. August 8, 2030

Early in the morning on August eighth, Caterina left her 'keeper' Irene Adler asleep in their hotel room in Cardiff, Wales. She borrowed all of Adler's cash from her wallet, and grabbed her hiking backpack with all of her clothes and disguises, her violin, and her purse.

She went to the nearest station and booked the early morning ride to London.

* * *

When she got off the bus, she went to Regent's Park and played on her violin in the rose gardens. She had come here as a child on a vacation, and had many fond memories of the place. For all the fact it was August, she still wore her forest green trench coat as she played sweet, soft melodies to herself in the garden as she looked for possible places or people that could give her the information she seeks.

"Hey! You! Stop right there." yelled a policeman. "You can't just wander around playing music for tips without a license."

She rolled her eyes as she considered the mental capacity of the man in front of her "Sir, I don't need a license because I'm not begging for money. I couldn't get one even if I wanted to. I literally don't exist in any database on this planet. So arrest me. I'm without any papers or forms of identification, and if you have any brains in your head you would notice I'm foreign, possibly an American based on my accent." with that said, she put away her violin and turned up the collar on her coat before she put her back pack straps back on her shoulders, and grabbed her purse and violin case.

"Alright. I'll take you down to the station and get someone to help you with your…mess" he said as he flapped his hands in her general direction.

She glared at him and he pointed towards his patrol vehicle as he thought about the similarities between her and a certain consulting detective.

* * *

When they arrived at the station, the policeman sat her down in the waiting area and spoke to the desk sergeant.

"I swear, if I didn't know that Sherlock was retired, I would've sworn that she was him in disguise."

"I'll call Lestrade and tell him that you're on your way up with your mystery girl. Does she really have no papers?" the other shook his head in assent. He beckoned Caterina over and nodded to the desk sergeant before returning to the streets.

"So, no papers, huh?" asked the curious desk sergeant.

"None, sir. Would I be correct in assuming that I look very similar to someone who recently worked here based on all of the double-takes as we have been walking?"

"You look like an old unofficial member of Scotland Yard. He'd help us on our more baffling cases from time to time. He's retired now, thank god. Let's get you over to Detective Chief Superintendent Lestrade."

* * *

"Sir?" the desk sergeant said as he knocked on the door. "There's a girl here who doesn't have any papers."

"So? Hand her over to Immigration."

"She doesn't exist in any databases that we have."

Lestrade sighed "Let her in." When Caterina walked through the door, he knocked over his chair as he jumped up exclaiming "Bloody Hell!"

"Apparently that's the standard reaction my looks elicit from anyone who's been on the force over the past fifteen years. What? Have I said something wrong?" asked Caterina as Lestrade uprighted his chair and sank back down into it.

In his mind he prayed that this was all a joke and that everything would go back to normal in about five seconds. "No, just how did you know that anyone who'd been here for fifteen or less?"

"I used deductive reasoning to study you. It's a bit basic, really. You've"

"Stop. Enough. I don't need my life story told to me. I've already lived through it once."

"I look and act a lot like somebody you know, don't I?" Lestrade squirmed under the focused gaze of her steel-grey eyes. "I do, don't I? He wasn't very well liked, based on your outburst from when you first saw me. You keep on looking at my hair and face, as if you are trying to make sense of the woman you see in front of you."

Lestrade grimaced "Yeah, alright. You look and act a lot like the retired consulting detective Sherlock Holmes. He wasn't the nicest, or most sociable bloke you could have the misfortune to meet, but he was bloody brilliant. He could solve any case just by being on the scene of the crime, looking at the body of the victim. It was bloody incredible."

"So, what did he look like?" Caterina asked, thinking that this consulting detective might be the man she's looking for to help her find her parents just as the phone on Lestrade's desk rang.

"Hello? Why are you calling me, Mycroft?" Asked the DCS irritably. "What do you want? Look, I've got a case that I cannot put aside and mountains of paperwork to do, so the answer is no." He slammed down the phone onto the receiver, and shot Caterina an apologetic smile "Sorry, overly nosy and pushy government official. Now, I am going to trust you and give you temporary papers until your identity is uncovered. I'm going to take you to an old friend and ask him to let you stay with his family until all this is settled."

Caterina gave him an honest and grateful smile "Thanks, Detective Chief Superintendent Lestrade."

Smiling back, he held out his hand "Please, call me Greg."

"Then call me Caterina" she replied as they shook hands.

* * *

Lestrade knocked on the front door of a small town-house and from within, came a shout of "I'm coming, I'm coming!" When the door opened a little, blond man with silver streaks in his hair looked at the two people standing on his door step. "Greg!" he said with a look of surprise "Is there anything wrong?"

"Oh, nothing's wrong. John, this is Caterina Karpov, Caterina? This is Dr. John Watson a very old friend. May we come in John? I need a small favor."

"Sure, sure. Of course!" he said as he waved Greg and Caterina into the siting room. Once the three of them were seated, John asked "So, why did you bring Caterina here, Greg?"

"He needs a place for me to stay until things are sorted out."

"What sort of things, Caterina?"

"Well…" Greg was reluctant to bring it up "she doesn't exist. No papers or files on her anywhere."

"Not exactly." the two men turned to look at her "The one person who might have information is Irene Adler."

"The Woman?" exclaimed John in surprise and confusion.

"Yes. Were you a client?"

"Me? No. My friend had a run-in with her about nineteen, twenty years ago? Anyways, they didn't see each other much after that."

Caterina stored that information for recall at a later time.

"Do you have anything to eat? I'm starving." asked Lestrade.

"Yeah. I was about to make myself lunch. Would you like something, Caterina?"

"Oh, ummm maybe some chips if you have any?"

"Greg?"

"Coming."

* * *

After walking to the kitchen and shutting the door, John turned to Greg "Who is she?"

"Honestly? I don't know."

"She looks like Sherlock. Especially with the way she wears her coat."

"Coincidence?"

John shook his head "Sherlock said that there is no such thing as coincidence. 'The universe is rarely that lazy.' What was her name again?"

"Caterina Karpov."

"She doesn't look like anyone of slavic or roma ancestry that I've ever met."

"Should we ask Sherlock?"

"No. I'm going to see him in a few days anyhow, I'm going to make another attempt to bring him out of retirement again. Maybe a girl that doesn't exist will pique his interest."

"Do you think that he'll help?"

"More likely she'll run away screaming."

"Or she'll make him runaway screaming." John looked at the DCS incredulously "Oh, Yeah. She's worse than him, except she's also got her emotions still. She hasn't surgically removed them yet. On our way over here she chatted all about wanting to meet her parents. That woman, Adler really gave her a reason to leave home. She was told when she was eight that she was forced upon her by her parents as a baby."

"Jesus."

"Yeah. What do you have to eat? She looks like she hasn't eaten in a few days."

"I've got some leftover fish and chips from last night. I'll heat those up for her."

* * *

When John and Greg came back with the food, Caterina wrinkled her nose "You guys can have the haddock. I'm not very partial to the flavor of that particular fish." Greg smiled at John. "What? I can tell what type of fish it is by the smell."

John sighed "Ok, Greg she can stay with us until you find her parents."

"Thank you. You're the first person who's willingly let me stay with them." Caterina started to silently cry.

John's fatherly instincts kicked in "Come here." He sat down next to the teen and held her "You haven't had anyone do this for you before, have you?" she hiccuped and nodded.

At that moment a short woman with blond hair walked in and asked "Who's this?"

"Mary, this is Caterina. She needs a home until Greg can find out who she is."

"Why is she in need of finding her identity?"

Lestrade cleared his throat "She doesn't exist. Someone systematically deleted any information about Caterina or her parents."

Caterina sat up "All I know is that my dad is british and a detective. I know nothing about my mother."

"I planned on trying to convince Sherlock to come out of retirement, so I'm going to bring Caterina along to have her ask him if he could help her."

"Oh, well Alice is staying with Tish for a couple weeks, so you can sleep in her room until I can clean up John's study and you can live here until Greg can find your parents."

"Thanks. Do you mind violin music at odd hours?"

"As long as it is before eleven at night or after dawn." assured Mary to the teen.

"Ok. I'm going to hit the sack. G'night."

"Good night, Caterina."

* * *

_**I do not own Sherlock. Please review.**_


	3. Caterina's Journal August 8-9, 2030

August 8,2030

I took all of Miss Adler's money and went to London. I went to Regent's park and played in the rose garden, where I was summarily arrested for 'disruptin' th' peace'. I told the policeman and he handed me over to Detective Chief Superintendent Lestrade.

He had the same reaction as any older police officer to my looks. I was very similar in looks to one of the unofficial members of the force.

He took me to a nice couple - a doctor and nurse- John and Mary Watson, who summarily agreed to let me live with them until Greg (DCS Lestrade) finds my parents. Mary's letting me use Alice's room while I help her clean John's study so I can use the sold bed in there. I have not met their daughter, but based on her room, she's only a few years younger than me, with similar tastes in both martial arts and ballet. I hope we'll get along, but let's see. John said I may come with him to talk his old friend into taking my case and coming out of retirement on the tenth. Mary's off tomorrow, so I'll help here and try to repay them for their kindness.

August 9, 2030

As my habits dictated, I rose at the first light of dawn. I put on headphones and played a little Glen Miller to wake up. I donned my Gi and went to the backyard of the Watson's house and began my morning's limbering exercises. After that, I practiced all of my kicks and punches, finished off with my breathing exercises and Tai Chi.

At that point, Mary came out and talked to me about my life before I ran away to London.

There really wasn't that much to tell. Miss Adler never let us stay anyplace long enough to make friends as a child.

We were always on the move and she taught the basics of what I needed to know, aka reading, writing, numbers, fighting and fifteen languages, how to disappear in a crowd, and basic computer code. Everything else I learned in textbooks or from hacking government agencies for laughs. Theoretical Physics? Easy. Flirting with guys? Somebody kill me, please. I might have learned to read people as a child, but interaction is a little bit of a no.

After John went to the clinic, Mary and I cleaned up John's office and Mary showed me where I could put my things. Sometime during the clean up, Alice showed up. I like John ad Mary's daughter, but I would prefer not having her at my back in a fight.

I practiced my violin before Mary and I made dinner before John came home.

We played cards, then went to bed. Tomorrow, I meet the great Sherlock Holmes. I hope he can help me.

* * *

_**I don't own Sherlock.**_


	4. August 10, 2030 part 1

John woke up to the sound of singing in the kitchen, quickly followed by a squeal of delight when someone put on 'In the Mood'. He groaned and slowly wandered out to the kitchen. When he arrived there, he was greeted by the sight of Caterina and Mary dancing around the kitchen.

"Good morning, John!" exclaimed the teen in pure excitement.

"Isn't it a bit early for you to be this awake?" John complained good-naturedly as he yawned , not fully awake himself.

"Nope. I've been up since dawn doing my morning exercises." Caterina said with a smile as she gave John a cup of coffee.

"Caterina is an excellent cook." Mary said as she helped make breakfast. She turned to her and said "If your parents don't want you, or they aren't what you are hoping for, I'll gladly adopt you."

She smiled and replied "If you do, you're going to need to stock up on greek yogurt, fat-free milk, granola, and low GCI fruits and vegetables."

John looked at her, impressed that she'd know exactly what she needed to keep herself healthy.

"I don't make pancakes everyday, but today is special."

John nodded as he sipped his coffee "Ah, yes. Today we go see Sherlock Holmes."

"What's he like?"

"You'll find out soon enough." John smiled as he thought about the man they were going to meet. He almost felt sorry for surprising him like this, but at the same time wished that he could have a camera to film the reactions of the young woman and his friend who looks so similar to him and has almost all of his personality quirks. He thought that maybe, just maybe she could pull him out of his shell after fourteen years of solitude since his accident.

After they finished breakfast to the sound of Glen Miller's dance music, John and Caterina dressed, and John hailed a cab. Caterina wore a long, white Belstaff, forest green jeans, and a blue t-shirt that had a quote from Doctor Who on it.

"221 B Baker Street, please." John asked the cabby.

* * *

When John and Caterina walked up to the door, Caterina heard someone playing the violin in the room above, the music floating out the open window. She commented "Whoever is playing that has quite the talent."

John nodded and knocked on the door. From the open window above, the music stopped and a low voice called down "Come on in, John. The door's unlocked." the violin music resumed as John chuckled and motioned for Caterina to follow him into the house. She followed him up the stairs, only to be allowed to walk in before John.

Once they both were inside the flat, a voice from the chair facing the window said "John, who is the woman with you? Mary is too short to make that sized stride into the flat, and Alice won't come near me since I told her truthfully that her previous boyfriend was gay."

John sighed "Caterina, that is Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock, this is Caterina Karpov."

Caterina walked over to the windows and pulled the heavy curtains apart so she could see the seated man better.  
When she looked at the man seated in front of her, and he saw her they both screamed "Bloody Hell!"

John laughed before saying "Well, I wondered what reaction you might have if I introduced you two."

Sherlock grabbed the cane that leaned against his chair and pushed himself up. Once he was standing, he and Caterina circled each other, deducting what they could about each other based on what they saw. Finally, at the same moment they asked "Who are you?"

Sherlock glared at the young woman who looked very similar to himself. "You are an American, highly intelligent, and you play the violin. You also know hand to hand combat and ballet?" he said as his eyebrows disappeared into his long, grey-dusted chocolate brown curls.

Caterina retorted "You are almost the same, minus the fact you are in your early fifties, have an old injury to your left leg that has caused you an issue for over a decade, and you self-diagnosed yourself as a sociopath, and everyone who's ever met you believes you to be a psychopath. Except you are not, you just simply hid your emotions too well, and you are an extremely lonely man."

"How could you possibly know that?" Sherlock scoffed as he motioned for Caterina to take a seat, while sitting back down in his chair.

She smiled at him with a sigh before stating what she felt was almost too obvious "Your eyes, Mister Holmes, are very expressive. I can see a multitude of emotions even as I speak. Confusion, Derision, Ah, is that a little bit of approval?" She asked as she lifted one eyebrow to question the man sitting by her.

Sherlock looked at John, who'd decided to sit on the sofa as his friend had a battle of wits with a girl young enough to be his daughter. "John, I'll take her as an apprentice. She'll give me a pair of younger eyes that might catch something I'd miss at a crime scene. Call Lestrade, I need a case!"

"Hold it right there! You do not make this decision for me, Mister Sherlock Holmes!" Caterina shouted as she jumped out of her seat in anger.

Sherlock looked at her with a bemused expression "Why not? It's a criminal waste of your mind to be a dancer. Come solve mysteries with me!"

"Come solve mysteries with you." Caterina began to laugh hysterically before her laughs turned into sobs as she yelled at the detective "I came here for you to solve my mystery." She paused, trying to reign in her emotions "I don't exist! Caterina Karpov does not exist. No records of any kind in any country on this planet! I would know, I hacked into all of the government databases to see if there were." She breathed in before continuing in a more calm voice "All I was told by the woman who cared for me is that I was born in Saint Bart's Hospital here, in London and that my father was a detective of some sort."

Sherlock studied her face very carefully before saying "Caterina, what is the name of the woman that cared for you?"

"Irene Adler."

"Oh." Sherlock looked as if he'd been punched in the gut. "I haven't seen her in almost nineteen years. I wonder..."

* * *

"Mr. Holmes?" asked Caterina after almost five minutes of him staring off into space with his hands unmoving on his armchair. She turned to John and said in a small voice "I think I broke his mind."

John laughed and said "No, he just want to his mind palace."

Caterina nodded in understanding "Ah, Method of Loci. I use that too, on occasion."

* * *

A few hours later Sherlock breathed in loudly and said "John?"

From the kitchen he heard Caterina giggle as John replied "Yes, Sherlock?"

"Call Grahm"

"Greg"

"That I'm coming out of retirement." Sherlock called to Caterina "Caterina, would you mind coming over here?"

After she walked over, he looked at her face with a soft expression before saying "You have your mother's chin. I wondered why she hasn't spoken to me in nineteen years."

John called from the kitchen "Sherlock? What are you saying?"

Still looking at the young woman's face, he said "Welcome home, Caterina Holmes."


	5. August 10, 2030 part 2

Caterina stumbled back "I am _not_ your daughter" but as the words left her mouth she remembered all of the people she'd met that had hinted that she looked like a young, female version of him. Same eyes, hair, intellect, almost the same face.

As Sherlock stood up she managed to say one word "Daddy?"

He walked over to her and enveloped her in his arms as he whispered "It's alright, Cat. I won't let your mum keep us apart anymore." as she cried into his shoulder. "John, would you mind giving us a few minutes?" Sherlock asked his oldest friend as he held his daughter close, his chin resting on the top of her head.

John nodded "I'll just go call Greg and tell him that you've decided to come out of retirement and solved Caterina's case."

* * *

Lestrade set down his phone as he considered the case of Caterina Karpov. She had come into the precinct looking like a small, female version of her father from when Greg had met him almost three and a half decades before.

Somehow he'd had a gut feeling that she was Sherlock's daughter, but hearing it from John along with Sherlock coming out of retirement confirmed it.

Greg smiled to himself wondering if fatherhood would change Sherlock as he walked out of his office, only to run into DI Sally Donnovan. "Hello, Sally."

"Hey, Greg. Why are you smiling?"

"Remember the curly haired girl that was in here the other day?"

"She gave me a fright, looked too similar to Sherlock for my liking."

"Apparently she's Sherlock's kid, and he's coming out of retirement to teach her the family business." Greg walked away smiling as he heard Sally cursing behind him as she picked up the filed she'd dropped in shock.

* * *

"So... Who's my mother?" Caterina asked while she sat on the floor next to her father's chair, as he brushed her wild curls into a manageable ponytail.

He briefly paused before continuing to brush her curls as he said "You lived with her your entire life."

Caterina turned and stared at his face, trying to see if he'd been lying. "_Irene Adler?" _

"Yup." he replied, popping the sound of the final consonant. "She and I had a short romance after I rescued her and made it look like she'd died"

"Oh. So am I Caterina Adler... or am I Caterina Holmes?"

"You are whomever you wish to be, kitten."

"Then I am Caterina Irene Holmes." she turned her back towards him and he resumed brushing.

He smiled at the thought of having a daughter, then panicked pausing mid-stroke.

Caterina turned around and saw the look of panic on her father's face "Dad?"

He looked down at her and smiled. "I'll be back in a bit." and rushed out to find John. Caterina shrugged and began braiding her hair.

Sherlock found John chatting with John chatting with Mrs. Hudson. "John, What do you do?"

"Sorry?" John looked at sherlock with a perplexed smile.

"How do you be a father?" Sherlock was panicking, pacing nervously while looking at the entry to his flat. "I don't want to be a bad dad for her. She needs an amazing father, and I don't know if I can be that."

"Well, lucky for both of you, she's already grown up, and has pretty good control of herself. My Alice isn't nearly as mature as she is, but then again, she's three years her junior. Don't worry. You'll be great. Oh, and you might want to tell Mycroft."

Sherlock groaned "I want my daughter to myself for at least one day before introducing Cat to her uncle."

"Don't forget your parents."

Another groan.

"I'll just get her settled in."

"I need to take her back to my place so she can get her things."

Sherlock smiled and John slapped him on the back, causing the detective to grunt in pain as John said "Welcome to the Dad Club." He called up the stairs "Hey, Caterina! I need you to come back with me to the house so you can get your things."

Sherlock murmured to John "Please have her back around three. I hope to have everything ready by then."

Caterina ran down the stairs, hugged Sherlock before saying "Come on, John! I want to get back as soon as possible!"

John shook his head smiling as Sherlock murmured to himself "I remember having that much energy. Where did it go?"

John smiled at his best friend "I don't know. So... Back at three?"

"Yes. Now I have to tell Mycroft to come for dinner."

* * *

Mycroft picked up his mobile and was surprised to see it was his brother. "Hello, brother dear. What's this? A courtesy call, or do you just want to talk?"

"No, Mycroft. Just come over for dinner tonight at seven. It's my treat. And bring Anthea, you'd be uncomfortable otherwise." Sherlock hung up before Mycroft could ask him any questions.

Mycroft considered the call and said to his assistant "Anthea, Would you mind putting in a call to the Prime Minister? I'm afraid I will be unable to attend tonight's dinner. Give him a probable excuse and apologize profusely for me. We have to attend a dinner with my little brother."

"Yes sir." Anthea said, her now grey hair pulled up into a tight bun. "Should I wear the ring?"

"If you'd like to."

"Then I will." she leaned over and kissed her fiancé who also is her boss.

* * *

Sherlock then went through his contacts and pressed dial on Her number.

"Hello?"

"Your voice hasn't changed a bit, Irene."

"What do you want?"

Sherlock smiled "Caterina found me, and I know she's our daughter. She wants to stay with me, and I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with us tonight. I know she won't say it, but she still wants you in her life."

"Sherlock, I was protecting both of you by not telling either of you. We both still have enemies, and I just want her to stay safe."

"But you never told her that you are her mother. Why?"

"She's too similar to you, for all the fact she's got my height."

"And chin." Sherlock pointed out, not wanting Irene to feel like she hadn't contributed to their daughter's genetics. "And you raised her, a Holmes, without becoming insane. And she's not a sociopath like me, so you did very well by her."

Irene sighed "I'll bring her papers when I come over for dinner tonight."

"Thank you, it'll mean the world to Caterina. Come around at six fifteen?"

"Sure. See you tonight."

"Good bye."

Sherlock smiled as he ended the call. He walked into the second bedroom and started to clean it up when he realized he had nothing in the fridge that was edible.

He ran into the kitchen, and for the first time in his life understood what everyone had meant by it being a complete disaster. He capped all of his experiments, and ran to Mrs. Hudson.

"I need to rent the basement flat."

"Why, dear?"

"I need space to do my experiments, and the kitchen where my daughter and myself will be eating is not the appropriate place."

"Of course, Sherlock. Do you want the key to the lock?"

Sherlock was running back up the stairs, and yelled back down "If you wouldn't mind just leaving it on the table by the bottom of the stairs, I'd appreciate it very much."

"Who is your daughter?"

"You met her earlier. Her name is Caterina! Caterina Irene Holmes."

* * *

After he cleaned the kitchen, he considered his options.

1\. He could order take-out.

2\. He could take them all to Angelo's.

3\. He could go buy groceries, and hope he gets it right.

He decided that option 2 is available if he messes up on option three.

He called for a cab, and went to the nearest Market, where he had one of the married mothers help him, explaining that he'd never shopped for any real amount of healthier food, and she gave him a long list of dry and perishables which he bought and took home.

After he put all of the perishables away in the decontaminated refrigerator, he went back to the second bedroom, boxing up all of his old case-files for perusal at a later time. He placed them all in the front room on and around his desk.

At this point, Caterina came back, it being almost three thirty. "Hey, Dad!" She ran over and hugged him, looking up with an expression of unbridled happiness. She looked around as Sherlock took a seat in his high-backed chair. "What's all this?" she asked as she gestured to the boxes surrounding his desk.

"Those are cases we can look through together to file away or destroy, depending on their usefulness and educational value for you to learn the family business."

"Great! Dad, are you alright?" she looked at Sherlock's face closely as he grimaced in pain.

"I might have hurt my back by clearing out your bedroom." he groaned "I also moved my experiments into the basement flat, and cleaned the entire kitchen. If you would rather eat out tonight, we can go over to Angelo's."

"Nonsense. I'll see if you forgot anything, see what shape the equipment is, and maybe get a few specialty pieces of equipment."

As Caterina bustled about the kitchen taking stock of all the food, John tended to Sherlock. "She could have stayed at my house for one night."

"No. I need to be her father, and this is what good fathers do."

"Are you displaying signs of emotion?"

"John, I have a daughter. I don't think that I can forgo sentiment anymore." he smiled as he watched her scowl at the state of the pans. "We can go out and buy new pans, Caterina. It's not that hard."

"Ok. because we're having pasta tonight."

"But I didn't buy any."

"That's because I make it fresh. John, would you mind helping us? I think that my dad asked some people to come over for dinner, and I want to make the best dinner they ever had."

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." John grinned and helped Sherlock stand, before handing him his cane.

Sherlock scowled at the black Hawthorn cane with a hidden sword inside it. Mycroft gave it to him fourteen years ago after the accident that caused him some loss of control in his left leg. "Let's go, before it gets any later. The first guest arrives at six thirty."


	6. August 10, 2030 part 3

Once they returned from the culinary equipment store with new pans and a pasta press, Caterina began to work. She almost seemed to fly around the kitchen while Sherlock and John stood back and watched her work. After a while, Sherlock grabbed his violin and began to play music. John went home soon after, reminding Caterina that if she needed a place to stay so she can have some space, his door was always open.

She smiled as she continued to cook, making small changes to the standard recipe to give a little bit of variety in the food. She hummed along with Sherlock's violin music as she finished preparing the food when someone knocked on the door. Sherlock opened it and smiled "Hello, Irene. It's been a while."

"A little over nineteen years." She smiled a small, half smile "Caterina?" she called, hoping Caterina wasn't too angry with her.

"Mom!" Caterina exclaimed a she ran to her and hugged her.

"Hello, dear." Irene squeezed her daughter tightly, and wished she'd told her sooner.

When they separated and Catherine went back to the kitchen, she said "We're waiting for one more guest, but you and dad can talk in the sitting room, or help me set the table."

Irene laughed as Sherlock said "Actually, there are two more guests."

"Good thing I made enough for left-overs. We'll have plenty." Caterina smiled brightly at her parents before taking out five plates and five sets of silverware.

At precisely seven, the door bell-rang. Sherlock groaned as he walked over to open the door. "My brother has arrived."

When Sherlock walked up the stairs with Mycroft and Anthea behind him, Irene and Caterina busied themselves in the kitchen, cleaning the pots and not talking very loudly.

"Why did you invite us, brother dear?" Mycroft asked with his voice laced with distain as he smiled in a way that seemed honest, except for the fact that his eyes held none of the warmth that would have accompanied it if it had been honest.

"Mycroft!" Sherlock said dramatically as he walked into the kitchen "Can't family come together for special occasions?"

"Family?" Mycroft scoffed "All I see are two strange women putting food on the table."

"Why don't you take a seat, Mycroft?" Sherlock asked his annoying elder brother. Once Mycroft was seated, he motioned for Caterina to come over.

"Yes, Dad?" Caterina said when she came over.

"Dad?" Mycroft spluttered, looking back and forth between his newfound niece and brother.

"You didn't tell him?" She asked, turning to Sherlock.

"In my defense, his face when you said that was priceless."

"True." Caterina shrugged. "Hello, Uncle Mycroft, I am your niece Caterina Holmes."

"How do you do?" Mycroft shook her hand, and once he stood, she hugged him.

"I'm happy to know more of my family. I didn't even know about my dad until about ten or twelve hours ago, so yeah. I'm very excited to meet you." she stood back, then said after looking both him and Anthea over "Oh, and congratulations on your engagement Uncle." Both Anthea and Mycroft blushed and held each-other's hand.

Mycroft looked at Sherlock. "Sherlock, you can't possibly be serious. This eighteen year-old is your daughter?"

Sherlock snorted, happy to see his brother in such discomfort over not knowing everything in the situation he was currently in. "I believe you also know Caterina's mother?" he replied as he signaled for Irene to come over.

"Hello, Iceman. I see your heart has melted a bit since I saw you last." Irene smiled, and put an arm around Sherlock's waist as she put her other arm around Caterina's shoulders.

"But... I thought you died!"

"Yes, only a Holmes could fool another Holmes. Nineteen years ago, Sherlock saved me and helped me disappear. We had a bit of a fling before we parted, and Caterina is the wonderful result of that night." Caterina leaned her head on Irene's shoulder as Irene pulled both her and Sherlock closer to her.

Mycroft smiled, and asked "So, are you two going to marry, now that Sherlock knows about your shared offspring?"

"No!" they both shouted, moving away from each other, leaving Caterina alone between them.

"Who wants dinner?" Caterina asked brightly before turning to the kitchen to bring out the meal.

Irene and Sherlock laughed as they went to help her. Mycroft smiled and lead Anthea to her seat.

As the family ate and shared stories, Caterina looked around the table at her now much larger family than she expected. She had both parents still among the living, an uncle, and very soon an aunt as well. She'd never expected to have such an extended family still alive, and it warmed her heart.

When Mycroft left, he said "Would you like for me to tell Mummy the good news?"

"Yes." Sherlock nodded with a real smile "I would like that very much, not to mention that you need to notify her of your engagement."

"Good night, Uncle Mike." Caterina said as she hugged him.

"Would you please call me Mycroft?" He asked, uncomfortable with the hug.

"Nope. That's your nickname, and you are stuck with it. Or would you rather I call you Uncle Ice?"

"Uncle Mike is fine." He hurried down the stairs while hearing his niece cackle with glee.

"I had a lovely time." Anthea said as she hugged Irene, Sherlock, and finally Caterina.

"It was nice getting to know you, Aunt Anthea."

"No nickname for me?" She teased her future niece with a smile.

"Anthea!" Mycroft called from below.

She rolled her eyes "Men. So impatient." Irene and Caterina laughed with her for a few seconds.

Once she and Mycroft left, the three remaining people in 221B cleared the table and washed the dishes. Irene sang with Caterina as they washed and dried the dishes while Sherlock put them away. Once everything was done, they all sat on the couch together and talked about just innocent family subjects, similar to what any normal family would, but it had a much deeper meaning to Caterina than either of her parents could ever realize. After a while, Caterina drifted off to the sounds of her parents talking together, getting to know each other again.

Irene left after kissing Caterina's forehead, and promised to come by often, especially since she liked the interesting conversations she could have with both her genius daughter and Sherlock.

Sherlock looked down at Caterina sleeping with his shoulder as a pillow, and smiled. He grabbed a pillow and deftly placed it underneath her head, before putting her legs up on the couch. He looked around the room, spied a thick, fuzzy blue blanket which he draped over her, and smiled as he brushed a stray hair from her face. He kissed her forehead "Good night, kitten."

"Good night, daddy." she murmured in her sleep with a smile.

Sherlock moved as silently as he could, turning off the lights as he prepared himself for bed. He chuckled to himself as he thought 'Just when life was getting boring, I meet the most singular person and she happens to be my daughter.' He writes a note on a pad of paper to remind himself that he needs to talk to Mycroft about a security detail for her safety. He still has too many enemies to worry about for her to be alone in London.

He paused as he was getting into bed, and decided to take his blanket and sleep in the main room with her tonight, so that if anything were to happen he could be there to protect her.


End file.
